Meet Anthony Randolph, the new Denver Nuggets forward

Last night, if you missed it, a source told me the news — the Birdman’s roller-coaster era in Denver has ended. The Nuggets used their amnesty clause to waive Chris Andersen — and Denver used the roster spot to sign Anthony Randolph, the intriguing (and arguably under-achieving) 23-year-old forward.

He stands 6-11, weighs 223 pounds, and he is entering his fifth NBA season, following just one season at LSU. He was the 14th overall pick by Golden State in 2008 and also played for the Knicks and Timberwolves, with whom he averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds last season.

He’s a classic case of a young talent who came out of college too soon. His talent is undeniable. But he remains a work-in-progress. According to a recent Associated Press piece out of Minneapolis, “(Randolph) sometimes frustrating the coaching staff with his work ethic. But several members of the staff are intrigued by his athleticism.”

It’s not too big a gamble for the Nuggets. Andersen basically didn’t play at all, since he was behind younger centers Kosta Koufos and Timofey Mozgov. And Randolph may come relatively cheap — he signed for a three-year, $6 million deal, according to an un-sourced Yahoo blog item.

Of course, Denver still has a plethora of post players. Presumably, the Nuggets will sign center JaVale McGee. So he and Kenneth Faried will start in the low post and off the bench Denver has Al Harrington, Koufos, Mozgov and now Randolph.

But the optimist says that he’s only 23 and he hasn’t played for a playoff team yet. And check out this quote from Lamar Odom, back in 2009:

“It’s like looking in the mirror a little. He’s also 6-11, he’s left-handed and he can put the ball on the floor. He’s two times as athletic as I was at that age.

“He should set his goals high. He has All-Star potential, Hall of Fame potential, with that size, his ability to put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the three, he can pass. If he stays focused, the sky is the limit for him.”

Something significant is going to happen to this roster. There are, simply, more players than there are spots available. Everyone assumes that McGee re-signing is inevitable, but I think there’s a fair chance the Nuggets let him walk given the contract he’s looking for. A developing spazz, like JaVale, isn’t supposed to be a 10 million dollar a year player. Players getting that kind of money need to be borderline All-Stars, and I’m not seeing that kind of ability.

Either McGee doesn’t get a contract, or the Nuggets will be trading multiple assets before the season.

Spin

I believe the Nuggets are collecting players and trade exceptions for preparation to trade for a superstar in the next 3 seasons. Currently the Nuggets have a $13m trade exception from the Nene deal. I think they are actively looking to trade Chandler before the season and if they can’t, he will be traded at the deadline for a trade exception. If that occurred. the Nuggets would be sitting on $20.5m in trade exceptions, which is enough to trade for any player not named Kobe Bryant.

However, until the Nuggets FO force George Karl to run a half-court offense and preach defense, the team will be good in the regular season and get bounced in the first round of the playoffs. We need a true PG that facilitates. A 5-10 PG that leads the team in scoring is a terrible plan to win a championship. We need a Superstar, preferably at the SG or SF position, to lead this team. A bunch of good players attempting to be great players leads to the same results we see every year. They need this team to gather around a star that can lead. Nobody on this team should be safe from a trade.

bn

NO, they need ball players with a brain..

do you see San Antonio getting guys like this guy or Javale?

I am so tired of reading about athletic ability and potential blah blah

how bout maybe get a shooting guard that can actually hit a 3 consistently

remember the impact Wesley Person made, Kyle Korver would have worked

you dont need superstars but you do need parts that fit together and basketball IQ

remember Dale Ellis..he could bury it too..the good teams get parts that fit, and players with a winning attitude/history…the Nuggets get Warrior and Wizards rejects lol Rockies same thing

djh

This coaching staff appears good at developing players slowly and thoroughly. Randolph has been with organizations who add and drop players at a whim. Sometimes a player just needs patience to reach his potential. It is worth a low risk gamble with Randolph.
Now having a team with too many developmental players is not going to win you a championship but for right now I like the direction the Nuggets are heading.

George McDowell

“(Randolph) sometimes frustrating the coaching staff with his work
ethic. But several members of the staff are intrigued by his
athleticism.”

Hmmmm…. Sounds familiar… Wait! I’ve got it!

“(Kwame Brown) sometimes frustrating the coaching staff with his work
ethic. But several members of the staff are intrigued by his
athleticism.”

George McDowell

By the way, JaVale IS a borderline all-star. That is how bad NBA centers are these days. And that is why he is worth $10M to many teams. He shouldn’t be based on his Tim Tebow-like IQ, but his height and athleticism trumps all that.

Anonymous

Mark my words… the Nuggets will be a good to great team this season. The only problem is that the Lakers will get Howard and be unstoppable and OKC will be just as good.

George McDowell

When you aren’t tendered after the end of your rookie contract, and you are taller than 6 feet 10, you no longer have upside. It matters not that he is 23. He is a complete bust! Odom, by the way, was hammered when he said that, and thought he was talking about Kevin Durant.

sully

Too many bigs now on the roster. There are not enough minutes for everyone. I see Randolph pushing out Mosgov and maybe Koufos. A lot of teams around the league are looking for a 7 footer. Mosgov may go if the right trade comes along.
My surprise trade is Aaron Afflalo. I can see Hamilton pushing him out. There should be a lot of interest for AA.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.